The Steely Dan song isn't about getting old as much as about time spent together. Still, it makes a good title for this piece. Lately, I have been "reeln in the years".....thinking about the stuff I have done. I can't say for sure....but I am 99% positive that it's been all good.
This Saturday I turn 60. As a kid we thought that 60 was OLD. That was before 50 became the new 40 and Social Security pushed up retirement age. Today 60 may just be the new 50...what ever that all means. Here are some thoughts about 60.
First....I do not feel any different then when I was 17. All this means that either I was a stupid kid or that once your opinions are set about things, they really do not change much over the rest of your life. At 17 I would listen to stuff and think....that is fucking stupid. Today, I say it. Not much real change there, except diminished consequences. At 17 I cared more about how people would react to my opinion. Now I just don't give a shit.
Second.....I have done a lot of stuff and been a lot of places. I raised two families and I'm working on number three. I owned 14 motorcycles and was married 4 times. There is no correlation between those two facts. They are mutually exclusive. I lived all over, in Texas, Alaska, Utah, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, California and Germany. The big difference in location is humidity. I do not like it when it is too humid. Over 20 summers in St Louis almost killed me.
Third.......I should have lived in California my whole life. When I came here for the first time in 1978.........We rode my motorcycle from St Louis to San Francisco and back...........it was like heaven. Connie's mom had a little one room apartment downtown San Francisco. After riding all the way out to visit, she told us we would have to find a place to stay. I asked around and a guy told me to stay at the YMCA. It was great. They let us park the motorcycle inside the back door. They still provide rooms at the Central YMCA Hotel 220 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA. Today, my daughter Meredith, attends San Francisco State University. Big wheel keeps on turning.
Fourth.....I have learned you can not change people. You are what you are. My single biggest flaw has been that I see people for their potential. They fail to achieve that potential and I lose respect for them. Stanley asked me....."why do you turn on people you called friends?" The answer is: They failed to achieve their potential and I lost interest. As a result I have been married four times. I could not change Pattie, Connie, or Julie. They would agree, I tried. Pam does not need to change. She is perfect. I don't agree with her 100% but I know she is smarter then me and I try not to tinker with her.
Fifth.....You can not turn 60 without an end game. My parents weren't smart but they saved half the money the earned. They had an end game. They both died at home in their own beds. This was how they planned it. They knew they were getting old and they discussed it and planned for it. I live in the Condo that is the last place I will live. My end game depends on Pam taking care of me and Jack being there to take care of Pam.
So I'm turning 60. Things are going well. I have never been happier and I'm looking forward to 80.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Magic underwear and other crazy ideas
Let me be clear up front. I do not believe the god-myth.
I grew up in a Catholic Family and went to mass nearly everyday for my first 12 years. I went to Catholic grade school and was taught by Nuns. In December 1960, we moved to Europe and that ended Catholic schools for me. Throughout the entire period, I didn't "get it". I never understood why everyone else believed that god was watching us or controlling our lives. I did not understand why we ate fish on Friday or any of the other odd Catholic beliefs. Most of those changed during the 60s. As unusual as Catholic dogma may seem, it does have a foundation in rational thought. Still, believing some of those things required a leap of faith that I did not possess.
Years later, in college, I became interested in History. As part of American History we read about the Mormon migration to Utah and the great salt lake. I did not know much about the Mormons but I understood that they did not fit well with communities in the east and moved frequently as a result of local pressure. There were conflicts between Mormon and traditional Christian beliefs. Since I did not really believe any of that stuff, I never looked into it for details.
Then, in the last 10 years or so, I went to Utah on business. It was really clean but hard to buy a drink. I read up on Mormon history and began to see some of the reasons why they were run out of town in the 1800s. In general, Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon which is thought to be plagiarized from the writings of Solomon Spaulding. The book and how it came to exist is a bizarre story. The teachings are even more crazy. I will let you do your own research and come to your own conclusions regarding the details. In short it involves special underwear, the planet Kolob, and dead baptism.
I think people can believe anything they want as long as it doesn't involve me. I live in California and there are all kinds of crazy people with weird ideas hanging around the Santa Monica Pier. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. The same would be true for Mormons except that one of them wants to be President. Yikes.
The question is not one of faith. It is really about judgment. Can a person who believes the teachings in the Book of Mormon be President? I think not. I know I am not a believer in the general sense but a person who believes the Book of Mormon is delusional and out of step with reality. Such a person does not have the judgement needed to lead our country. It is just that simple for me.
I grew up in a Catholic Family and went to mass nearly everyday for my first 12 years. I went to Catholic grade school and was taught by Nuns. In December 1960, we moved to Europe and that ended Catholic schools for me. Throughout the entire period, I didn't "get it". I never understood why everyone else believed that god was watching us or controlling our lives. I did not understand why we ate fish on Friday or any of the other odd Catholic beliefs. Most of those changed during the 60s. As unusual as Catholic dogma may seem, it does have a foundation in rational thought. Still, believing some of those things required a leap of faith that I did not possess.
Years later, in college, I became interested in History. As part of American History we read about the Mormon migration to Utah and the great salt lake. I did not know much about the Mormons but I understood that they did not fit well with communities in the east and moved frequently as a result of local pressure. There were conflicts between Mormon and traditional Christian beliefs. Since I did not really believe any of that stuff, I never looked into it for details.
Then, in the last 10 years or so, I went to Utah on business. It was really clean but hard to buy a drink. I read up on Mormon history and began to see some of the reasons why they were run out of town in the 1800s. In general, Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon which is thought to be plagiarized from the writings of Solomon Spaulding. The book and how it came to exist is a bizarre story. The teachings are even more crazy. I will let you do your own research and come to your own conclusions regarding the details. In short it involves special underwear, the planet Kolob, and dead baptism.
I think people can believe anything they want as long as it doesn't involve me. I live in California and there are all kinds of crazy people with weird ideas hanging around the Santa Monica Pier. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. The same would be true for Mormons except that one of them wants to be President. Yikes.
The question is not one of faith. It is really about judgment. Can a person who believes the teachings in the Book of Mormon be President? I think not. I know I am not a believer in the general sense but a person who believes the Book of Mormon is delusional and out of step with reality. Such a person does not have the judgement needed to lead our country. It is just that simple for me.
Solstice is the reason for the season
It's the most wonderful time of the year. They have been thinking this for over 4,000 years. The main reason for this Holiday period has always been about the Sun.
Winter solstice is the time when the earth tilts the furthest away from the sun. The result is the shortest day light hours for the northern hemisphere. This day is December 22 on modern calendars but it was December 25 on the original Roman calendar. Here is a link to wiki regarding the event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
For early humans this event was a BIG DEAL. Their lives depended on growing food and that required sun light. In northern Europe, the days were extremely short and the nights were very long and cold. Many myths developed around this single event. For some it meant the sun was dying and they sacrificed to make the sun come back. Druids burnt yule logs and the Norse brought burning trees into their cave to light up the dark night. For others this was a time of rebirth as the new sun would be born and the process would begin anew.
In Rome two festivals took place at this time, Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Saturnalia was the week long festival to Saturn which led up to Sol Invictus, the day of the unconquered sun. Sol invictus was on December 25. This was one of the most important Roman holidays and it followed the festival week of parties and gift exchanges.
Christmas, the Christan holiday, did not exist until the 4th century when the early Christians set December 25 as the day to celebrate Jesus birth. The actual date is unclear. Many believe this date was selected because it was already a pagan Roman Holiday that nobody wanted to give up.
Regardless, it remains clear that this wonderful time of the year is a result of Winter Solstice and the numerous traditions associated with the period. Merry Solstice to all and goodnight.
Winter solstice is the time when the earth tilts the furthest away from the sun. The result is the shortest day light hours for the northern hemisphere. This day is December 22 on modern calendars but it was December 25 on the original Roman calendar. Here is a link to wiki regarding the event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
For early humans this event was a BIG DEAL. Their lives depended on growing food and that required sun light. In northern Europe, the days were extremely short and the nights were very long and cold. Many myths developed around this single event. For some it meant the sun was dying and they sacrificed to make the sun come back. Druids burnt yule logs and the Norse brought burning trees into their cave to light up the dark night. For others this was a time of rebirth as the new sun would be born and the process would begin anew.
In Rome two festivals took place at this time, Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Saturnalia was the week long festival to Saturn which led up to Sol Invictus, the day of the unconquered sun. Sol invictus was on December 25. This was one of the most important Roman holidays and it followed the festival week of parties and gift exchanges.
Christmas, the Christan holiday, did not exist until the 4th century when the early Christians set December 25 as the day to celebrate Jesus birth. The actual date is unclear. Many believe this date was selected because it was already a pagan Roman Holiday that nobody wanted to give up.
Regardless, it remains clear that this wonderful time of the year is a result of Winter Solstice and the numerous traditions associated with the period. Merry Solstice to all and goodnight.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
I have to start out by saying, I cried like a baby. I was at work and had to go to the men's room and get control of myself. I have waited 30 years for this news.
1966 was a very long time ago. Connie and Dave lived in suburban Chicago. They were seniors in high school. It was a typical teenage 60s high school story. Connie's parents were weird. Her mom was crazy, and her dad was a fireman who worked odd hours. Dave's mom was a little more eccentric, and his brother was gay. Dave and Connie were in love and in 1966 Connie was pregnant.
Their parents understood and Connie dropped out of high school short of graduation to go away to have the baby. It was a girl, and she "gave it up" for adoption. This would be the end of another typical high school romance but for one thing; Connie got pregnant a second time.
So, Connie and Dave got married. They were way too young and they got married for all the wrong reasons. Connie did not finish high school and Dave worked to support her and their new baby, Jennifer. It was tough being young, poor, and having a new family. Still, they thought they were doing the right thing.
In 1972 they went on vacation to Colorado and the next year they moved to Denver. Dave got a job with a linen company and Connie worked at Target. Things were still rough. Money was short and both Dave and Connie felt trapped. Jennifer spent far too much time alone, at babysitters, or unsupervised. Finally, in 1973 Dave and Connie separated.
I met Connie at Target. My own marriage was not going well. We went out and had fun, laughed, and for a few hours forgot about our problems. Connie told me the story about her and Dave, and how Jennifer had an older sister. The daughter she "gave up", Jennifer's "Big Sister".
Over the next ten years I helped raise Jennifer. She never really saw me as her Dad. Dave was her Dad and she loved to go visit. He had all the cool new stuff. I taught Jennifer to tuck point, took her to get her jaw fixed, and explained birth control. I sent her to Computer Camp to learn how to use a PC. I leased her a new car. I took her to Wally World and moved her to College. Over that time we often talked about her Big Sister. Connie was tormented by the past and wanted closure.
Connie and I separated. We were great friends but poor spouses. Jennifer lived with me until she graduated College and got married. The issue of her Big Sister was never resolved. Connie called in 1985, I think, to tell me she had begun the process of trying to get in touch with her daughter. The one she "gave up". She had notified the agency that she would accept communication from her daughter. Time passed. Then I heard that Connie had gotten a letter. her daughter was fine, but wanted to remain private. We all understood.
Until today. Jennifer called me to say her Big Sister....Odessa, had contacted Connie and would be interested in communicating. Wow! It has been 41 years since Connie and Odessa last saw each other. No promises. Who knows what will happen..............Happy Thanksgiving.
1966 was a very long time ago. Connie and Dave lived in suburban Chicago. They were seniors in high school. It was a typical teenage 60s high school story. Connie's parents were weird. Her mom was crazy, and her dad was a fireman who worked odd hours. Dave's mom was a little more eccentric, and his brother was gay. Dave and Connie were in love and in 1966 Connie was pregnant.
Their parents understood and Connie dropped out of high school short of graduation to go away to have the baby. It was a girl, and she "gave it up" for adoption. This would be the end of another typical high school romance but for one thing; Connie got pregnant a second time.
So, Connie and Dave got married. They were way too young and they got married for all the wrong reasons. Connie did not finish high school and Dave worked to support her and their new baby, Jennifer. It was tough being young, poor, and having a new family. Still, they thought they were doing the right thing.
In 1972 they went on vacation to Colorado and the next year they moved to Denver. Dave got a job with a linen company and Connie worked at Target. Things were still rough. Money was short and both Dave and Connie felt trapped. Jennifer spent far too much time alone, at babysitters, or unsupervised. Finally, in 1973 Dave and Connie separated.
I met Connie at Target. My own marriage was not going well. We went out and had fun, laughed, and for a few hours forgot about our problems. Connie told me the story about her and Dave, and how Jennifer had an older sister. The daughter she "gave up", Jennifer's "Big Sister".
Over the next ten years I helped raise Jennifer. She never really saw me as her Dad. Dave was her Dad and she loved to go visit. He had all the cool new stuff. I taught Jennifer to tuck point, took her to get her jaw fixed, and explained birth control. I sent her to Computer Camp to learn how to use a PC. I leased her a new car. I took her to Wally World and moved her to College. Over that time we often talked about her Big Sister. Connie was tormented by the past and wanted closure.
Connie and I separated. We were great friends but poor spouses. Jennifer lived with me until she graduated College and got married. The issue of her Big Sister was never resolved. Connie called in 1985, I think, to tell me she had begun the process of trying to get in touch with her daughter. The one she "gave up". She had notified the agency that she would accept communication from her daughter. Time passed. Then I heard that Connie had gotten a letter. her daughter was fine, but wanted to remain private. We all understood.
Until today. Jennifer called me to say her Big Sister....Odessa, had contacted Connie and would be interested in communicating. Wow! It has been 41 years since Connie and Odessa last saw each other. No promises. Who knows what will happen..............Happy Thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Too bitter?
Pam says I am too bitter. No, she did not say bitter....let me think ...she said "your blog is too ....harsh? vicious? no, vitriolic" I forget. But I think she is saying I am too negative about the things I write.
I don't think I am negative or bitter. I don't get too many comments back so it is hard to tell. Roger did email me about my views on the god-myth. I respect Roger and his opinion. He may be right. [doubt it] I guess something has to be important before I write about it. There are lots of things that happen that I just skip. My motorcycle needs washing...but I don't think it is important enough to write about.
There are things that happen that are wonderful. I wrote about the fire and how our home was saved. I was very happy and impressed with the fire department. I have explained how I feel about illegal immigrants. That reminds me of the joke about the married couple from Arkansas who move to Missouri....it's a legal question. Are they still cousins after they cross state lines? Anyway, I like immigrants and think they make the country stronger, just as the Irish, Germans, and Italians did a century ago. I don't think that is negative. I also have a strong positive attitude about humanity. We have faced some tough stuff over the last 10,000 years. War, plague, and christianity did not stop us. My guess is we will go on and beat global warming and terrorism.
The big positives in my life are my wife and kids. I love them and I am really proud of them. Pam has done very well from our first meeting at the Onion to her sale today to Sysco San Francisco. "At a girl", as a drunken Scotsman would say. Jennifer has a new job and her hands full with four kids. Kate is a great mother and she has two wonderful children. Meredith is off to San Francisco. She has a job and she is getting good grades. Colleen has two jobs and goes to College. Jack is becoming a "buster"....stop it Daddy be nice. If I have'nt said it, I am very proud of my family and they make me happy, each in a different way.
So, if I sound negative or vitriolic [you can look that up] it is only because I haven't been writing about the good things as much as I should. I will work on that. Send me your comments. You too Cody.
I don't think I am negative or bitter. I don't get too many comments back so it is hard to tell. Roger did email me about my views on the god-myth. I respect Roger and his opinion. He may be right. [doubt it] I guess something has to be important before I write about it. There are lots of things that happen that I just skip. My motorcycle needs washing...but I don't think it is important enough to write about.
There are things that happen that are wonderful. I wrote about the fire and how our home was saved. I was very happy and impressed with the fire department. I have explained how I feel about illegal immigrants. That reminds me of the joke about the married couple from Arkansas who move to Missouri....it's a legal question. Are they still cousins after they cross state lines? Anyway, I like immigrants and think they make the country stronger, just as the Irish, Germans, and Italians did a century ago. I don't think that is negative. I also have a strong positive attitude about humanity. We have faced some tough stuff over the last 10,000 years. War, plague, and christianity did not stop us. My guess is we will go on and beat global warming and terrorism.
The big positives in my life are my wife and kids. I love them and I am really proud of them. Pam has done very well from our first meeting at the Onion to her sale today to Sysco San Francisco. "At a girl", as a drunken Scotsman would say. Jennifer has a new job and her hands full with four kids. Kate is a great mother and she has two wonderful children. Meredith is off to San Francisco. She has a job and she is getting good grades. Colleen has two jobs and goes to College. Jack is becoming a "buster"....stop it Daddy be nice. If I have'nt said it, I am very proud of my family and they make me happy, each in a different way.
So, if I sound negative or vitriolic [you can look that up] it is only because I haven't been writing about the good things as much as I should. I will work on that. Send me your comments. You too Cody.
Free our Park
About eight months ago we bought a new condo. At the time it was a drawing and the lot was full of weeds. Across from the lot was a new Park. It wasn't quite finished so it had a fence around it while they work on the landscape.
Over the last eight months we went to look at our new Condo during construction. We went almost every week. We drove by the Park over 25 times during thee visits. As near as I could tell, nothing was being done to finish the Park.
In October we finally moved to our new condo. Jack wanted to go play at the park, but the fence was still up. Checking, we were told the Park had been vandalized and was being repaired. The fence would come down soon. A week ago, the fence was down and we took Jack to play in HIS PARK. he was very excited.
The next day....the fence was back up. I began calling trying to find out what was going on. As near as I can tell, the Park was completed too soon. It was vandalized or so they say, and then repaired. The Park is owned by the Irvine Company not our community. The Irvine Company won't let kids play there because it is not insured for play. The community assoication doesn't have the money to pay for upkeep on the park because the construction is not finished near by and taxes have to be paid by home owners to pay for the Park.
So the Park is captive. It makes no sense to have a Park with a fence around it.
Over the last eight months we went to look at our new Condo during construction. We went almost every week. We drove by the Park over 25 times during thee visits. As near as I could tell, nothing was being done to finish the Park.
In October we finally moved to our new condo. Jack wanted to go play at the park, but the fence was still up. Checking, we were told the Park had been vandalized and was being repaired. The fence would come down soon. A week ago, the fence was down and we took Jack to play in HIS PARK. he was very excited.
The next day....the fence was back up. I began calling trying to find out what was going on. As near as I can tell, the Park was completed too soon. It was vandalized or so they say, and then repaired. The Park is owned by the Irvine Company not our community. The Irvine Company won't let kids play there because it is not insured for play. The community assoication doesn't have the money to pay for upkeep on the park because the construction is not finished near by and taxes have to be paid by home owners to pay for the Park.
So the Park is captive. It makes no sense to have a Park with a fence around it.
Stop it Daddy......be nice
Somebody must have told Jack, my son, that he wasn't being nice. He suffers from the same behavior as his father and sisters. Now his new favorite phase is to tell me to be nice. Shouldn't we all be nice? Wouldn't it be nice, if everyone was nice? So what's the problem? I think I am nice. At least I try real hard to be nice.
I'm caught in a balance between being nice and getting what I want and need for myself and my family. I learned a long time ago that I have a very aggressive personality. I come from a tough family who grew up poor and only survived because they refused to take crap. As a kid my Dad could not find a job. During Prohibition, he and his brothers rode "shotgun" on liquor trucks from Chicago to East St. Louis. It really was "shot gun".... not across from the driver. When World War two came, he was drafted to go kill Japanese. I asked once if he was scared. He said, "yes, we took a ship across the pacific ocean to land on Okinawa....and I couldn't swim." My Dad was a Drill Sargent and one of the toughest guys who ever lived. My mother was just a little tougher. When she died, we found $80,000 in cash and two loaded handguns in her dresser. She was always prepared. One of her favorite sayings was to ask "who's ass do I have to kiss to get what I want?"
I've made some mistakes. As a Boy Scout I stabbed the Assistant Scout Master for beating up another kid. The Boy Scouts said that wasn't nice. My friend, Tim, thought it was nice that I defended him. Another kid, on another day, took our football while we were playing. That led to a fight. I choked him unconscious and the Nuns said I wasn't nice. I did get the football back.
I've had bosses who thought I wasn't nice because I stood up for myself and my employees. When I have been lied to, I have made it clear how unhappy I was. I may have threatened to kill people at work two or three times. I was told I wasn't nice for telling coworkers I would kill them. Still, it did get results. I have had ex-wives and girl friends who said I wasn't nice. They forget to say that I left them.....they did not leave me. If I am so bad.....why did they want to be with me?
I have never really cared about winning the "homecoming queen contest". I realize my style is not popular. I can live with it. I think I am complex and not easily understood. I'm nice when people care about me and work with me. I don't like to be treated badly, lied to, or insulted. I can and will defend myself, my family, friends, and stray dogs from abuse.
Over the last 10 years I have worked to be nicer. I love my children and Pam. I want them to be happy and I try really hard to be nice to them. They are not always nice to me. The biggest issue has been mobile phones. I have bought and paid cell phone bills. Still it is almost impossible to call my children and have them answer. It is frustrating.
There is something inside me that makes me feel the way I feel. I'm sure Kate, Meredith, Colleen, and Jack understand. They feel it too and do not know what to do to solve it. We have an internal compass that points to the right thing to do. When we, or those we care about, are offended, we respond. We can not help ourselves. The response can lead to escalated aggressive behavior. Some times this isn't nice. I does get results.
So, I am trying to be nice. I want to get along. As I get older it has been more difficult. A couple of years ago I was at the mall trying to Park. I waited for a car to pull out, only to have a kid cut in front of me to take the parking spot. When he got out of the car I told him he should be more careful. Stealing parking spots might get him hurt. He told me, "IF you weren't such and old guy, I would kick your ass." I got out of the car and told him, "It's OK, I don't mind" He locked himself in his car and called 911. I told him I would wait for the police to come and see who they believe....a punk ass kid or an "old guy". He drove off and I got the spot. That was NICE.
I'm caught in a balance between being nice and getting what I want and need for myself and my family. I learned a long time ago that I have a very aggressive personality. I come from a tough family who grew up poor and only survived because they refused to take crap. As a kid my Dad could not find a job. During Prohibition, he and his brothers rode "shotgun" on liquor trucks from Chicago to East St. Louis. It really was "shot gun".... not across from the driver. When World War two came, he was drafted to go kill Japanese. I asked once if he was scared. He said, "yes, we took a ship across the pacific ocean to land on Okinawa....and I couldn't swim." My Dad was a Drill Sargent and one of the toughest guys who ever lived. My mother was just a little tougher. When she died, we found $80,000 in cash and two loaded handguns in her dresser. She was always prepared. One of her favorite sayings was to ask "who's ass do I have to kiss to get what I want?"
I've made some mistakes. As a Boy Scout I stabbed the Assistant Scout Master for beating up another kid. The Boy Scouts said that wasn't nice. My friend, Tim, thought it was nice that I defended him. Another kid, on another day, took our football while we were playing. That led to a fight. I choked him unconscious and the Nuns said I wasn't nice. I did get the football back.
I've had bosses who thought I wasn't nice because I stood up for myself and my employees. When I have been lied to, I have made it clear how unhappy I was. I may have threatened to kill people at work two or three times. I was told I wasn't nice for telling coworkers I would kill them. Still, it did get results. I have had ex-wives and girl friends who said I wasn't nice. They forget to say that I left them.....they did not leave me. If I am so bad.....why did they want to be with me?
I have never really cared about winning the "homecoming queen contest". I realize my style is not popular. I can live with it. I think I am complex and not easily understood. I'm nice when people care about me and work with me. I don't like to be treated badly, lied to, or insulted. I can and will defend myself, my family, friends, and stray dogs from abuse.
Over the last 10 years I have worked to be nicer. I love my children and Pam. I want them to be happy and I try really hard to be nice to them. They are not always nice to me. The biggest issue has been mobile phones. I have bought and paid cell phone bills. Still it is almost impossible to call my children and have them answer. It is frustrating.
There is something inside me that makes me feel the way I feel. I'm sure Kate, Meredith, Colleen, and Jack understand. They feel it too and do not know what to do to solve it. We have an internal compass that points to the right thing to do. When we, or those we care about, are offended, we respond. We can not help ourselves. The response can lead to escalated aggressive behavior. Some times this isn't nice. I does get results.
So, I am trying to be nice. I want to get along. As I get older it has been more difficult. A couple of years ago I was at the mall trying to Park. I waited for a car to pull out, only to have a kid cut in front of me to take the parking spot. When he got out of the car I told him he should be more careful. Stealing parking spots might get him hurt. He told me, "IF you weren't such and old guy, I would kick your ass." I got out of the car and told him, "It's OK, I don't mind" He locked himself in his car and called 911. I told him I would wait for the police to come and see who they believe....a punk ass kid or an "old guy". He drove off and I got the spot. That was NICE.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Facism - The anti terror result
Think about this definition from Wikipedia.
"Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the interests of the state."
This is a political movement that does not care about individual freedom. At it's heart, it says the Country is more important then the person. I say bull shit!
Today I read about the new Anti Terror rules for the United Kingdom [England for those of you who are confused by Europe]. The UK has decided to impose tighter anti terror tactics prior to Holiday Shopping. Here is just a part of the new rules:
"Additional screening" of baggage and passenger searches were planned at some large railway stations and other "sensitive locations". Guidance would be sent to thousands of cinemas, theatres, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues and commercial centres, as well as all hospitals, schools and places of worship to advise them on how to keep visitors safe against terrorism.
What this says is the UK will begin searching people at train stations, movie theatres, and restaurants. The plan to issue rules to keep visitors safe....even if it means long lines and unnecessary searches.
How many times have you seen the TV news guys at LAX saying the lines were too long and they interview some dumb shit who says.." well, if it keeps us safe, I guess it is worth it." Bull Shit. Do you want to wait in line at the movies to be screened? I don't and I think we are doing just what the Terrorist want. The want us to impose stupid "anti-terror" rules that create a Fascist society and reduce personal freedom.
Each of you need to speak out against this government move to impose more and more searches. Terrorist can not allow us to give up our personal freedom so easily. We all know who these terrorist are. They are not 18 year old white girls from the OC. They aren't 60 year white guys like me. Searching us is just pointless and Fascist.
Nothing will be done to stop this silly crap until everyone says.....Get the fuck away from me! Stand up for yourself and do not allow this fascist anti terror plan to come to America. Here is a link to the BBC site with the UK Plan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7093752.stm
"Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the interests of the state."
This is a political movement that does not care about individual freedom. At it's heart, it says the Country is more important then the person. I say bull shit!
Today I read about the new Anti Terror rules for the United Kingdom [England for those of you who are confused by Europe]. The UK has decided to impose tighter anti terror tactics prior to Holiday Shopping. Here is just a part of the new rules:
"Additional screening" of baggage and passenger searches were planned at some large railway stations and other "sensitive locations". Guidance would be sent to thousands of cinemas, theatres, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues and commercial centres, as well as all hospitals, schools and places of worship to advise them on how to keep visitors safe against terrorism.
What this says is the UK will begin searching people at train stations, movie theatres, and restaurants. The plan to issue rules to keep visitors safe....even if it means long lines and unnecessary searches.
How many times have you seen the TV news guys at LAX saying the lines were too long and they interview some dumb shit who says.." well, if it keeps us safe, I guess it is worth it." Bull Shit. Do you want to wait in line at the movies to be screened? I don't and I think we are doing just what the Terrorist want. The want us to impose stupid "anti-terror" rules that create a Fascist society and reduce personal freedom.
Each of you need to speak out against this government move to impose more and more searches. Terrorist can not allow us to give up our personal freedom so easily. We all know who these terrorist are. They are not 18 year old white girls from the OC. They aren't 60 year white guys like me. Searching us is just pointless and Fascist.
Nothing will be done to stop this silly crap until everyone says.....Get the fuck away from me! Stand up for yourself and do not allow this fascist anti terror plan to come to America. Here is a link to the BBC site with the UK Plan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7093752.stm
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Save that Confederate Money...The South will raise again
Money is a funny thing. It all started a long time ago with the old "barter" system. I will trade you a cow for your wagon kind of thing. Soon people ran out of stuff to trade that both they, and the other guys wanted. Everyone wanted Gold so they agreed to use Gold and Silver as an exchange currency. Thus...money was born.
People wanted to control money so they started making gold and silver coins. They had pictures of dead guys on them with cool sayings like, "hurry for our side". Some places would only accept coins from one country or state. There was a little confusion over what a coin was worth. The market...our old friend, supply and demand, helped adjust the value and things worked out.
The Beatles said it best..."I read the news today oh boy". Money is in trouble. To be more clear, OUR money is in trouble. The good ol US of A green back is becoming the US Peso. You probably don't pay too much attention to the Euro or the Pound...money from Europe. Well they are kicking the dollar in the ass. When the Euro first started back in 2002 it was worth one US dollar. Today it is worth $1.45 US dollars. In five years the dollar has declined 45% versus the Euro.
OK so what? Who cares about the Euro or Pound? Well, let me "splain it to ya"
Stuff, anything you want or need, comes from someplace. Like Coffee, we don't grow it in America. It comes from Africa and South America to name a few places. Coffee is sold on the world commodity market. Guys who have it want to sell it. People who buy it need money to pay for it. Now here is the tricky part.
If you are selling something do you want to be paid in Dollars or Euros? If they were both worth the same it would not matter much. Back in 2002 people selling stuff took both because they were worth the same. But over the last seven years the Euro has become worth more. So now it takes MORE dollars to buy the same stuff that one dollar bought back then. Today 100 Euros is worth 145 Dollars. More important, if you take Euros, you are almost 100% sure that they will be worth the same a year from now. The dollar is a crap shoot.
All this means is the stuff we buy from other countries is getting more expensive. Things like oil, TVs, cars, cell phones, shoes and shrimp all come from someplace else. The dollar is worth less and falling. Stuff we want is going to cost MUCH MUCH more. And, you will not get a raise to buy this stuff. Oil is up to almost $100 per Barrel. This will mean $4.00 + per gallon Gas. Add the price of gas to the increase in freight. Everything we buy is shipped to us by boat or on a truck. This means everything...yes everything, will cost more by 2008 because the dollar is worth less.
So why is the dollar falling in value? Well, there are two good reasons. First we are spending too much on a WAR in Iraq. A country, like a person can not spend more then they earn. America is over spending like drunken sailors on leave in Vegas. I think the WAR cost a BILLION dollars a month. We are also spending too much on dumb shit stuff like searching old lady's at the airport or on the "War on Drugs". Airport searches and the so called Drug War cost us about 2 million a day. Ya, 750 million dollars a year.
The second reason the dollar is falling is due to the "sub Prime" home loan crisis. People did stupid stuff to borrow money on Homes that were way way too over priced. Then they weren't able to pay the money back. Banks are loosing money and this is hurting the value of real estate and financial corporations. The stock market is a mess and the poor dollar is suffering.
I'm writing all this to tell you it will take 10 years to dig out from under this financial mess. I also think that this is what Al Qaeda planned all along. The best "defeat" for America is economic defeat. We have over spent on a WAR and wasted money at home. Now our money isn't worth shit and we can't buy the things we need. All these things are connected: The WAR, price of gas, falling value of the dollar and your pay check.
Think about this when you vote. We need to stop spending before we go broke.
People wanted to control money so they started making gold and silver coins. They had pictures of dead guys on them with cool sayings like, "hurry for our side". Some places would only accept coins from one country or state. There was a little confusion over what a coin was worth. The market...our old friend, supply and demand, helped adjust the value and things worked out.
The Beatles said it best..."I read the news today oh boy". Money is in trouble. To be more clear, OUR money is in trouble. The good ol US of A green back is becoming the US Peso. You probably don't pay too much attention to the Euro or the Pound...money from Europe. Well they are kicking the dollar in the ass. When the Euro first started back in 2002 it was worth one US dollar. Today it is worth $1.45 US dollars. In five years the dollar has declined 45% versus the Euro.
OK so what? Who cares about the Euro or Pound? Well, let me "splain it to ya"
Stuff, anything you want or need, comes from someplace. Like Coffee, we don't grow it in America. It comes from Africa and South America to name a few places. Coffee is sold on the world commodity market. Guys who have it want to sell it. People who buy it need money to pay for it. Now here is the tricky part.
If you are selling something do you want to be paid in Dollars or Euros? If they were both worth the same it would not matter much. Back in 2002 people selling stuff took both because they were worth the same. But over the last seven years the Euro has become worth more. So now it takes MORE dollars to buy the same stuff that one dollar bought back then. Today 100 Euros is worth 145 Dollars. More important, if you take Euros, you are almost 100% sure that they will be worth the same a year from now. The dollar is a crap shoot.
All this means is the stuff we buy from other countries is getting more expensive. Things like oil, TVs, cars, cell phones, shoes and shrimp all come from someplace else. The dollar is worth less and falling. Stuff we want is going to cost MUCH MUCH more. And, you will not get a raise to buy this stuff. Oil is up to almost $100 per Barrel. This will mean $4.00 + per gallon Gas. Add the price of gas to the increase in freight. Everything we buy is shipped to us by boat or on a truck. This means everything...yes everything, will cost more by 2008 because the dollar is worth less.
So why is the dollar falling in value? Well, there are two good reasons. First we are spending too much on a WAR in Iraq. A country, like a person can not spend more then they earn. America is over spending like drunken sailors on leave in Vegas. I think the WAR cost a BILLION dollars a month. We are also spending too much on dumb shit stuff like searching old lady's at the airport or on the "War on Drugs". Airport searches and the so called Drug War cost us about 2 million a day. Ya, 750 million dollars a year.
The second reason the dollar is falling is due to the "sub Prime" home loan crisis. People did stupid stuff to borrow money on Homes that were way way too over priced. Then they weren't able to pay the money back. Banks are loosing money and this is hurting the value of real estate and financial corporations. The stock market is a mess and the poor dollar is suffering.
I'm writing all this to tell you it will take 10 years to dig out from under this financial mess. I also think that this is what Al Qaeda planned all along. The best "defeat" for America is economic defeat. We have over spent on a WAR and wasted money at home. Now our money isn't worth shit and we can't buy the things we need. All these things are connected: The WAR, price of gas, falling value of the dollar and your pay check.
Think about this when you vote. We need to stop spending before we go broke.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Spam & Friends
I first signed up for Email with AOL back in 1989 I think. I got one of those disk and a dial up modem to connect to the AOL site. Email was the next "CB" radio. A cool way to communicate with friends. Back then only a few people had email and most were on AOL.
Over time email expanded and more and more people were able to communicate. Some time around 1998 or so, I stopped writing regular letters, except to my mother. She never had an email address or a computer. After she died, I never sent another "snail mail" letter via the post office. I have to admit I have sent important letters via FedEx but only for business. All my personal mail is email. Over the years I held on to my AOL address. I have friends who know it and it's a pain to switch to another provider. Today, I have email at work. I have another email address on my Treo phone, and my old AOL address. Three email accounts for the parts of my life.
As email evolved so did the idea of spam and junk email. AOL was always ready to provide filters to block most of it. The worst is stuff sent to me by friends who like to pass on chain email.
Some of these so called friends have never sent me a real email about their life or what they think. They ONLY pass on chain emails. Naked women, flag waving, bible thumping bullshit I do not want or ask for.
At first when I got this crap, I read it. Then deleted it. Much of it is in support of some cause. Help the poor little kid who is dying of aids by sending this email to all your friends kind of stuff. I never really understood how this would help. I guess the kid died because I did not pass on the chain email. In the last few years this chain email has begun to include more important issues. Some are about global warming. Some about Iraq. Many are about how America is going to hell because of Mexicans or the lack of school prayer.
About a month ago I got a chain email from a former coworker from 5 years ago. He never sends me an email about where he works or his life. But out of no place he sends me an email saying how great jesus is for saving him. This would have been another delete, but I read the whole thing. At the bottom it said something like this:
"If you think you are really a christian and you send this type of chain email to your christian friends...then this time show your faith by sending this on to EVERYONE in your address book."
The email was saying. You aren't a "real christian" unless you forward this crap to people who do not want it. That pissed me off.
Nobody has stronger opinions then me. I have spent over 50 years thinking about this stuff and I can discuss and debate almost any important issue. Much of what I believe, I post here, but I do not send chain emails to friends to prove my faith or lack of it. For me, chain email is not about faith. It is about being inconsiderate of others. Further, I am annoyed by people who have less then zero writing skills and send the ideas of other idiots, rather then write.
Email should not be like...having friends over for dinner and then try to sell them AMWAY.
So, I have begun to push back. When I get this crap I reply to all and explain that America is a great country but we are diverse. Our strength comes from this diversity and we need to understand that chain emails are ..."LIKE WEARING UNDERWEAR ON YOUR HEAD". You can do it but you only look stupid.
For the record:
Over time email expanded and more and more people were able to communicate. Some time around 1998 or so, I stopped writing regular letters, except to my mother. She never had an email address or a computer. After she died, I never sent another "snail mail" letter via the post office. I have to admit I have sent important letters via FedEx but only for business. All my personal mail is email. Over the years I held on to my AOL address. I have friends who know it and it's a pain to switch to another provider. Today, I have email at work. I have another email address on my Treo phone, and my old AOL address. Three email accounts for the parts of my life.
As email evolved so did the idea of spam and junk email. AOL was always ready to provide filters to block most of it. The worst is stuff sent to me by friends who like to pass on chain email.
Some of these so called friends have never sent me a real email about their life or what they think. They ONLY pass on chain emails. Naked women, flag waving, bible thumping bullshit I do not want or ask for.
At first when I got this crap, I read it. Then deleted it. Much of it is in support of some cause. Help the poor little kid who is dying of aids by sending this email to all your friends kind of stuff. I never really understood how this would help. I guess the kid died because I did not pass on the chain email. In the last few years this chain email has begun to include more important issues. Some are about global warming. Some about Iraq. Many are about how America is going to hell because of Mexicans or the lack of school prayer.
About a month ago I got a chain email from a former coworker from 5 years ago. He never sends me an email about where he works or his life. But out of no place he sends me an email saying how great jesus is for saving him. This would have been another delete, but I read the whole thing. At the bottom it said something like this:
"If you think you are really a christian and you send this type of chain email to your christian friends...then this time show your faith by sending this on to EVERYONE in your address book."
The email was saying. You aren't a "real christian" unless you forward this crap to people who do not want it. That pissed me off.
Nobody has stronger opinions then me. I have spent over 50 years thinking about this stuff and I can discuss and debate almost any important issue. Much of what I believe, I post here, but I do not send chain emails to friends to prove my faith or lack of it. For me, chain email is not about faith. It is about being inconsiderate of others. Further, I am annoyed by people who have less then zero writing skills and send the ideas of other idiots, rather then write.
Email should not be like...having friends over for dinner and then try to sell them AMWAY.
So, I have begun to push back. When I get this crap I reply to all and explain that America is a great country but we are diverse. Our strength comes from this diversity and we need to understand that chain emails are ..."LIKE WEARING UNDERWEAR ON YOUR HEAD". You can do it but you only look stupid.
For the record:
- I think illegal immigrants have every right to be here. If they walked 900 miles and risked their life to live here, they passed the test. Many of the people who were born here are not as tough.
- I do not support the god-myth. I understand why people need it, but I do not.
- I want a President who will make government work for taxpayers.
- I dislike traffic laws. I think if you hit other cars you should have to ride the bus.
- I think Service in America is in a crisis. There is almost no real service.
- I do not like to watch sports. It seems like watching other people exercise. I can not understand why men carry on about athletes.
- I love my wife and children even when they do odd things.
- I will give you the shirt off my back, but I will beat you to death if you try to steal it.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Welcome to Hell
Steely Dan sings on Babylon Sisters......."here comes those Santa Ana winds again". I was thinking of it last night as I stood at Irvine and Sand Canyon, watching the fire consume the hill side along Portola Parkway. Two thing stood between the fire and our new home. A dirt lot and a thin red line of fire fighters.
We watch the weather on TV. There really isn't much weather to discuss in Southern California. The temperature is nearly always 78 except for the days when it is hot....like 82, or cold...like 75. There are those five or six days a year when we get "winter storms". This is just rain, but it is an event in Southern California. Then there are the Santa Anas.
They say the Santa Anas are the winds of satan. The name may have come from the Spanish, "vientos de Sanatanas". Reality is, they are named for the Santa Ana mountains and canyon that separate the Orange County coast from the inland desert. As high pressure builds over the desert, it develops winds that turn clockwise around the High. These winds are forced through the mountains where they build heat, speed, and low humidity. The result are 50 mile per hour sustained winds with temperatures in the high 80s and humidity as low as 10%. Hot dry wind. Like a blast furnace blowing down on metro Los Angeles.
So, Sunday, October 21, 2007, began with high wind just prior to sun up. By 8:00 AM fires had developed in Malibu and Santa Clarita. The air was filled with dust and sand. At 6:00 PM a new fire began on Santiago Canyon road. This fire quickly grew into a 2500 acre blaze covering the hills above Irvine. The fire burned down the hills closer and closer to Portola and the homes in Irvine. The air was thick with smoke and flying embers that would land and start new fires.
I watched as the Orange County fire department set up a line on Portola. This would be their stand to stop the fire from spreading into the homes on the west side of Portola. The fire grew stronger as it approached. More and more of my neighbors came to watch as the fire burned through 100 year old eucalyptus trees. They were like torches burning in the sky. I worried that the embers would blow over the fire line and ignite the empty lot between us and Portola. It tried several times but did not succeed. The fire line held. These men and trucks against a wall of fire. They held the fire until in slowly burned down and then moved south to Foothill Ranch.
Our new home and our new neighborhood was saved by those men and that dirt lot that refused to catch fire. The sky burned red all night. Pam packed a bag for a fast exit just in case. I got up every couple hours to watch the sky and check for evacuation orders. By dawn the fire and those men had moved south to replay their game of chicken. Men against a wall of fire. Homes and families in the balance. Babylon Sisters; Drive west on Sunset to the sea,Turn that jungle music down.
We watch the weather on TV. There really isn't much weather to discuss in Southern California. The temperature is nearly always 78 except for the days when it is hot....like 82, or cold...like 75. There are those five or six days a year when we get "winter storms". This is just rain, but it is an event in Southern California. Then there are the Santa Anas.
They say the Santa Anas are the winds of satan. The name may have come from the Spanish, "vientos de Sanatanas". Reality is, they are named for the Santa Ana mountains and canyon that separate the Orange County coast from the inland desert. As high pressure builds over the desert, it develops winds that turn clockwise around the High. These winds are forced through the mountains where they build heat, speed, and low humidity. The result are 50 mile per hour sustained winds with temperatures in the high 80s and humidity as low as 10%. Hot dry wind. Like a blast furnace blowing down on metro Los Angeles.
So, Sunday, October 21, 2007, began with high wind just prior to sun up. By 8:00 AM fires had developed in Malibu and Santa Clarita. The air was filled with dust and sand. At 6:00 PM a new fire began on Santiago Canyon road. This fire quickly grew into a 2500 acre blaze covering the hills above Irvine. The fire burned down the hills closer and closer to Portola and the homes in Irvine. The air was thick with smoke and flying embers that would land and start new fires.
I watched as the Orange County fire department set up a line on Portola. This would be their stand to stop the fire from spreading into the homes on the west side of Portola. The fire grew stronger as it approached. More and more of my neighbors came to watch as the fire burned through 100 year old eucalyptus trees. They were like torches burning in the sky. I worried that the embers would blow over the fire line and ignite the empty lot between us and Portola. It tried several times but did not succeed. The fire line held. These men and trucks against a wall of fire. They held the fire until in slowly burned down and then moved south to Foothill Ranch.
Our new home and our new neighborhood was saved by those men and that dirt lot that refused to catch fire. The sky burned red all night. Pam packed a bag for a fast exit just in case. I got up every couple hours to watch the sky and check for evacuation orders. By dawn the fire and those men had moved south to replay their game of chicken. Men against a wall of fire. Homes and families in the balance. Babylon Sisters; Drive west on Sunset to the sea,Turn that jungle music down.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Left of Center
When I learned to drive a left turn was just another act of driving. You slow down, hit your blinker, wait until it's clear and turn. Simple act of driving. Those days are gone...or at least they are going and you did not vote to give up this right. If you notice you will find that with every new highway remodel, they [government] are adding left turn lanes and left turn lights. Your days of turning left are getting shorter.
Statistics are to blame. Seems like most accidents occur as a driver is making a left turn. Either he or she is stupid or in a hurry. Regardless, they hit somebody and this adds up to a report. Left turns cost insurance companies money. They lobby the state. Next thing you know, they put a left turn light up for you to turn into your own drive way.
I can not tell you how many hours I have wasted sitting at green lights waiting for the left turn arrow to come on. Used to be, you could make a left turn if you yielded to on coming traffic. Even that compromise was too dangerous. Seems like many idiots turned when cars were coming. Now you have to wait for the arrow.
If this turn lane doesn't work, we will all be forced to drive around making right turns until we get back home. I can see the next step in which they eliminate ALL left turns so as to save those six lives lost last year. Next time you go to turn left....complain about the light.
Statistics are to blame. Seems like most accidents occur as a driver is making a left turn. Either he or she is stupid or in a hurry. Regardless, they hit somebody and this adds up to a report. Left turns cost insurance companies money. They lobby the state. Next thing you know, they put a left turn light up for you to turn into your own drive way.
I can not tell you how many hours I have wasted sitting at green lights waiting for the left turn arrow to come on. Used to be, you could make a left turn if you yielded to on coming traffic. Even that compromise was too dangerous. Seems like many idiots turned when cars were coming. Now you have to wait for the arrow.
If this turn lane doesn't work, we will all be forced to drive around making right turns until we get back home. I can see the next step in which they eliminate ALL left turns so as to save those six lives lost last year. Next time you go to turn left....complain about the light.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Safety & Security.....Civilization 101
I watched the Osama bin Laden videos and was reminded of an old photo of Sitting Bull. [Stay with me on this thread of thought.] Civilization has had a few anarchist road blocks in the past. The Romans had Hannibal, Manifest Destiny had to deal with the Lakota Sioux. All in all, the more powerful force won out. This does not mean might is right. It does mean that you can bet on the side of the powerful winning any future conflicts.
Given the fact that Europeans came to the new world and took the land they wanted against the will of native peoples, how can a guy hiding in the Afghan mountains hope to win? I understand his position. He is concerned about the growth of global Western culture and the impact on Islam. During our recent trip to Europe we stopped at MacDonald's to eat. It is not the same old Germany in which I grew up. Bob Dylan said it best..." the times they are a changen"
If you believe Europeans invaded the middle east during the Crusades. That they began a cultural shift that has led to rock music and MTV in Saudi Arabia. Then you might want to speak out about your culture slipping away. Osama has done that. But, so did Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was a Lakota Chief and the winner at Little Big Horn. Prior to the battle Sitting Bull had a vision, a dream of US Soldiers dying in the fields. He told his dream to his followers who became inspired and engaged the Army in the belief that they could not lose. They defeated Custer and for a short time enjoyed popularity in an Indian uprising.
Sitting Bull, like Osama Bin Laden, was trying to hold back the tide of Western Culture that threatened his values and way of life. Little Big Horn, like 9/11, did strike a blow for native culture. Sitting Bull had a vision and asked for "martyrs' to wage war against the Western culture. History has been pretty clear. The more powerful force wins the argument.
Bin Laden has a limited audience of fundamentalist who, having seen MTV, want to move culture back 1,000 years and become martyrs. Modern Islam, like modern Christianity is much more secular and less literal in the word of the Koran. Jordon and other moderate Islam countries, have struck a balance between Islamic tradition and western culture. In much the same way....stay with me....American Indians have opened Casinos to create a balance between native and the western European culture that defeated them 150 years ago.
So how many Islamic kids want to join a fight to the death in turning back time? My guess is the number is smaller then you would think. There may be support for Islamic values and culture. In my view we can coexist. We will probably see more "terrorist attacks" but I'm betting on history. Sitting Bull could not stop Western Culture and he was tougher guy than Osama. In the long term Osama may just want to turn off MTV and stop complaining.
Here is a link to wiki and Sitting Bull: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_bull#Victory_at_Little_Big_Horn_and_the_aftermath
Given the fact that Europeans came to the new world and took the land they wanted against the will of native peoples, how can a guy hiding in the Afghan mountains hope to win? I understand his position. He is concerned about the growth of global Western culture and the impact on Islam. During our recent trip to Europe we stopped at MacDonald's to eat. It is not the same old Germany in which I grew up. Bob Dylan said it best..." the times they are a changen"
If you believe Europeans invaded the middle east during the Crusades. That they began a cultural shift that has led to rock music and MTV in Saudi Arabia. Then you might want to speak out about your culture slipping away. Osama has done that. But, so did Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was a Lakota Chief and the winner at Little Big Horn. Prior to the battle Sitting Bull had a vision, a dream of US Soldiers dying in the fields. He told his dream to his followers who became inspired and engaged the Army in the belief that they could not lose. They defeated Custer and for a short time enjoyed popularity in an Indian uprising.
Sitting Bull, like Osama Bin Laden, was trying to hold back the tide of Western Culture that threatened his values and way of life. Little Big Horn, like 9/11, did strike a blow for native culture. Sitting Bull had a vision and asked for "martyrs' to wage war against the Western culture. History has been pretty clear. The more powerful force wins the argument.
Bin Laden has a limited audience of fundamentalist who, having seen MTV, want to move culture back 1,000 years and become martyrs. Modern Islam, like modern Christianity is much more secular and less literal in the word of the Koran. Jordon and other moderate Islam countries, have struck a balance between Islamic tradition and western culture. In much the same way....stay with me....American Indians have opened Casinos to create a balance between native and the western European culture that defeated them 150 years ago.
So how many Islamic kids want to join a fight to the death in turning back time? My guess is the number is smaller then you would think. There may be support for Islamic values and culture. In my view we can coexist. We will probably see more "terrorist attacks" but I'm betting on history. Sitting Bull could not stop Western Culture and he was tougher guy than Osama. In the long term Osama may just want to turn off MTV and stop complaining.
Here is a link to wiki and Sitting Bull: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_bull#Victory_at_Little_Big_Horn_and_the_aftermath
Is it hot in here.....revisited
It was really hot in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend. We went up the Coast to Pismo Beach to cool nights and mild days. As I tell people on the phone"....maybe that Gore guy is right about Global Warming." Then, as Paul McCartney says...I read the news today, oh boy.
Turns out I was right about this warming stuff all along. Yes it is getting warmer and yes it is normal. Don't buy that Hybrid car just yet. In a new report / book, Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years, authors Avery and Singer point out clear scientific evidence that this is a 1500 year cycle and we [earth] have been through it before. The cause:
"our Modern Warming is linked strongly to variations in the sun's irradiance." Simply stated, sun spots not SUVs are the bad guys. Here is a link to the summary...but buy the book. I am sure it is compelling stuff. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,176495.shtml
Turns out I was right about this warming stuff all along. Yes it is getting warmer and yes it is normal. Don't buy that Hybrid car just yet. In a new report / book, Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years, authors Avery and Singer point out clear scientific evidence that this is a 1500 year cycle and we [earth] have been through it before. The cause:
"our Modern Warming is linked strongly to variations in the sun's irradiance." Simply stated, sun spots not SUVs are the bad guys. Here is a link to the summary...but buy the book. I am sure it is compelling stuff. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,176495.shtml
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
9/11 Six years later.........
I was 15 years old on November 22, 1963. It was 8:30 PM in Germany where my Dad was assigned. Tim Martin and I were at the Movies. They stopped the film, turned on the lights and a General walked to the movie screen. He said, "The President of the United States has been shot. We are at full alert. Everyone report for duty."
There were crazy rumors. We lived 60 kilometers from East Germany and the Russian Army. I got home and my mother was packing. My Dad was gone. He had given my mother our passports, $500 in cash, and a loaded hand gun. He told her to take us to France, tonight.
My mom was too tough to be scared off easily. We waited and listened to Radio Free Europe and the BBC. Hours pasted and nothing seemed to happen. I fell asleep with my sister. The next morning, we had a new President and my dad came home. He and I unpacked the car and our life went back to what we called "normal'.
I remember that day like it happened yesterday. It was a serious day in my life and in the lives of everyone I knew. I wasn't upset about the man who was shot. I didn't know him. I was afraid for my Dad, my family, and myself.
38 years later. On September 10, we went to Las Vegas for the Food Equipment Show to look at modified atmosphere packaging. At LAX the screener stopped Roger Mucino and I because we were carrying pocket knives. I had never been stopped before. We went back and left our pocket knives in my truck. This was clear foreshadowing of the things to come.
We stayed at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Pam, my future wife, came to stay with me. Jack King and his wife went to dinner with Roger, Pam and me. It was just any other night in Vegas. Pam had to fly to Salt Lake City at 7:00 AM on September 11, so she got up at 5:30 and went to the airport. She call me from the airport to say her flight was canceled. All flights were canceled. She told me to turn on the TV. A plane had just hit the World Trade center in New York.
I got up and called Roger's room. I sat there and watched the second plane hit the second tower live on CNN. At that point, it all came back...Kennedy, my Mom and Dad. I know we had to get out of Vegas and back to my children in Los Angeles. My concern was that this attack was just one of many. Las Vegas may be a target. Los Angeles could be a target too.
We went to the lobby Bar at Cesar's Palace. It was about 8:00 AM. I called Walter Hernandez. I told him we were stranded in Vegas and there were no flights or rental cars. I was worried about my children and potential additional terrorist attacks. Walter said, " I will come and get you".
We walked on the front of Cesar's and hired a cab to take us to the California State line. Walter drove from LA and met us there. We were back home by noon.
My truck was in lock down at LAX. I waited three days before they allowed me to walk into the garage and drive it out. Things returned to "normal"...again. September 11, was another serious day. But again, my concern was not for the people in New York. My concern was for my children, my friends, and myself. No additional attacks happened. My kids were fine. I still owe Walter for coming to get us.
The lesson in both these cases is simple. Be prepared. There are crazy people out there doing crazy things. You can not control the world. Have a plan for yourself and your family. Be prepared for these events. $500 in cash and a hand gun are a good start.
There were crazy rumors. We lived 60 kilometers from East Germany and the Russian Army. I got home and my mother was packing. My Dad was gone. He had given my mother our passports, $500 in cash, and a loaded hand gun. He told her to take us to France, tonight.
My mom was too tough to be scared off easily. We waited and listened to Radio Free Europe and the BBC. Hours pasted and nothing seemed to happen. I fell asleep with my sister. The next morning, we had a new President and my dad came home. He and I unpacked the car and our life went back to what we called "normal'.
I remember that day like it happened yesterday. It was a serious day in my life and in the lives of everyone I knew. I wasn't upset about the man who was shot. I didn't know him. I was afraid for my Dad, my family, and myself.
38 years later. On September 10, we went to Las Vegas for the Food Equipment Show to look at modified atmosphere packaging. At LAX the screener stopped Roger Mucino and I because we were carrying pocket knives. I had never been stopped before. We went back and left our pocket knives in my truck. This was clear foreshadowing of the things to come.
We stayed at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Pam, my future wife, came to stay with me. Jack King and his wife went to dinner with Roger, Pam and me. It was just any other night in Vegas. Pam had to fly to Salt Lake City at 7:00 AM on September 11, so she got up at 5:30 and went to the airport. She call me from the airport to say her flight was canceled. All flights were canceled. She told me to turn on the TV. A plane had just hit the World Trade center in New York.
I got up and called Roger's room. I sat there and watched the second plane hit the second tower live on CNN. At that point, it all came back...Kennedy, my Mom and Dad. I know we had to get out of Vegas and back to my children in Los Angeles. My concern was that this attack was just one of many. Las Vegas may be a target. Los Angeles could be a target too.
We went to the lobby Bar at Cesar's Palace. It was about 8:00 AM. I called Walter Hernandez. I told him we were stranded in Vegas and there were no flights or rental cars. I was worried about my children and potential additional terrorist attacks. Walter said, " I will come and get you".
We walked on the front of Cesar's and hired a cab to take us to the California State line. Walter drove from LA and met us there. We were back home by noon.
My truck was in lock down at LAX. I waited three days before they allowed me to walk into the garage and drive it out. Things returned to "normal"...again. September 11, was another serious day. But again, my concern was not for the people in New York. My concern was for my children, my friends, and myself. No additional attacks happened. My kids were fine. I still owe Walter for coming to get us.
The lesson in both these cases is simple. Be prepared. There are crazy people out there doing crazy things. You can not control the world. Have a plan for yourself and your family. Be prepared for these events. $500 in cash and a hand gun are a good start.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Are you Gay? Can you prove it?
I've been reading about Senator Larry Craig and the claims and denials regarding his sexual orientation. Does it really matter? I say let it go. We should be concerned about Senator Craig's voting record and how he has done representing the people of Idaho. His personal life has no place in this public forum and we need to accept that there are homosexuals in the world.
Being Gay is not against the law. I have read the excellent report on Senator Craig on the IdahoStatesman website. This issue has been beaten to death and investigated for years. In the end, it really does not matter. Larry Craig has been a public servant for many years and he deserves to be simply left alone. The press needs to focus their time on Paris Hilton and other important stuff.
Now Mitt Romney drops the guy like a bad habit. Won't somebody say an end to this Gay bashing and move on?
Being Gay is not against the law. I have read the excellent report on Senator Craig on the IdahoStatesman website. This issue has been beaten to death and investigated for years. In the end, it really does not matter. Larry Craig has been a public servant for many years and he deserves to be simply left alone. The press needs to focus their time on Paris Hilton and other important stuff.
Now Mitt Romney drops the guy like a bad habit. Won't somebody say an end to this Gay bashing and move on?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Color Blind
Today I read about Michael Vick and it made me think: When will Black People stop thinking they are victims, and why are we called racist if we don't agree with stupidity?
"ATLANTA - An NAACP leader said Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation."
Let all this soak in a minute. The NAACP says Michael Vick should be reinstated following his guilty plea for dog fighting. There is a serious role model problem for kids today and it is the worst in the Black community. Reinstating Michael Vick following his guilty plea is an outrage, and just what Black kids do not need as a role model.
I grew up in the military and lived with Black and Hispanic families. There was no attitude or feeling that anyone was better. My family was Irish and we had our share of name calling. There is a reason why they called the truck, to pick up drunks, the "Paddy" wagon. We were "micks". Dirt poor white trash. Neither of my parents graduated high school. They went to work at 14 to keep from starving. The war came along and my Dad was drafted. He found a home in the military and made one for us. He was tough Irish guy who was afraid of nothing.
Later, after college, I was surprised by the way Black people seemed to have changed. It seems that during the 60's they developed "Victim Syndrome". After a hundred years of struggle to be equal, they accepted the crap they were told by Black Leadership and resigned themselves to being America's Victims. Every time something happened to a Black Person it was because he was black. Worse, they seemed to be unwilling or unable to speak out against the things in the Black neighborhoods that were wrong.
Today only Larry Elder and Bill Cosby will tell you the truth about Black America. National Black leadership, like the NAACP, are holding on to the victim mentality and this thinking is holding back Black America. If a white man speaks out about any of these issues, he is a racist.
Michael Vick is a talented football player and one of the stupidest people on earth. He pissed away a career on dog fighting and he should not be reinstated. If a white guy did this, I would say and feel the same way. Stupidity, it seems, is color blind.
"ATLANTA - An NAACP leader said Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation."
Let all this soak in a minute. The NAACP says Michael Vick should be reinstated following his guilty plea for dog fighting. There is a serious role model problem for kids today and it is the worst in the Black community. Reinstating Michael Vick following his guilty plea is an outrage, and just what Black kids do not need as a role model.
I grew up in the military and lived with Black and Hispanic families. There was no attitude or feeling that anyone was better. My family was Irish and we had our share of name calling. There is a reason why they called the truck, to pick up drunks, the "Paddy" wagon. We were "micks". Dirt poor white trash. Neither of my parents graduated high school. They went to work at 14 to keep from starving. The war came along and my Dad was drafted. He found a home in the military and made one for us. He was tough Irish guy who was afraid of nothing.
Later, after college, I was surprised by the way Black people seemed to have changed. It seems that during the 60's they developed "Victim Syndrome". After a hundred years of struggle to be equal, they accepted the crap they were told by Black Leadership and resigned themselves to being America's Victims. Every time something happened to a Black Person it was because he was black. Worse, they seemed to be unwilling or unable to speak out against the things in the Black neighborhoods that were wrong.
Today only Larry Elder and Bill Cosby will tell you the truth about Black America. National Black leadership, like the NAACP, are holding on to the victim mentality and this thinking is holding back Black America. If a white man speaks out about any of these issues, he is a racist.
Michael Vick is a talented football player and one of the stupidest people on earth. He pissed away a career on dog fighting and he should not be reinstated. If a white guy did this, I would say and feel the same way. Stupidity, it seems, is color blind.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Is it hot in here or is it me?
It does seem hot this summer. Does this mean Al Gore is right? As a kid I read all those stories about mammoths and cave men during the Ice Age. Seems like I remember the Great Lakes were formed by glaciers that melted from that same Ice Age.
The Ice Age I am talking about is the Wisconsin glaciation that occurred about 10,000 years ago. As a result, the polar Ice Caps expanded to cover much of the northern hemisphere. Scientist are convinced that there have been at least four recordable periods in which an Ice Age existed on earth. There also seems to be quite a bit speculation regarding why these occurred. It is safe to say the earth cooled and the ice expanded but nobody is clear about why the earth cooled. Does this mean they are sure about global warming but undecided about global cooling?
In my view all of these cooling and warming periods occurred long before we had SUVs. It is hard for me to accept that man's impact on earth has anything to do with documented histories of Ice Ages and cyclic warming. There is one theory that man has prevented the return of yet a fifth ice age as a result of global agriculture and burning fossil fuels. In Michael Crichton's book "State of Fear" he discusses some of these so called facts.
One such fact is that the warmest year on record was 1998. When these temperatures are discussed they are always compared to historical temperatures taken since the late 1900s. Stop and think for a minute about the guy who was keeping these records in 1885. Was he or she a scientist? Did record keeping amount to recording statistics or did they just wonder how hot it was that day. My guess it was similar to the way my dad read the thermometer on the side of our garage. Oh, it's about 90 out.
Today tracking temperature is in fact a science and it is more accurate then it was when I was a kid, not to mention the way it was in 1885. Still with all these techniques we have discovered that the real hottest year on record was 1934. Turns out people like Al Gore had this all wrong.
Ya, it has been a hot summer but nothing like it was in the 30's when people would go to sleep in the park at night to avoid the heat in their homes. Yes burning oil and coal can heat up the earth but my SUV did not cause the dust bowl and drought in the Midwest during the depression. If global warming is true, we know it has been getting warmer for the last 10,000 years, what caused the ice ages? There must be a cycle here and global cooling could be just around the corner.
The Ice Age I am talking about is the Wisconsin glaciation that occurred about 10,000 years ago. As a result, the polar Ice Caps expanded to cover much of the northern hemisphere. Scientist are convinced that there have been at least four recordable periods in which an Ice Age existed on earth. There also seems to be quite a bit speculation regarding why these occurred. It is safe to say the earth cooled and the ice expanded but nobody is clear about why the earth cooled. Does this mean they are sure about global warming but undecided about global cooling?
In my view all of these cooling and warming periods occurred long before we had SUVs. It is hard for me to accept that man's impact on earth has anything to do with documented histories of Ice Ages and cyclic warming. There is one theory that man has prevented the return of yet a fifth ice age as a result of global agriculture and burning fossil fuels. In Michael Crichton's book "State of Fear" he discusses some of these so called facts.
One such fact is that the warmest year on record was 1998. When these temperatures are discussed they are always compared to historical temperatures taken since the late 1900s. Stop and think for a minute about the guy who was keeping these records in 1885. Was he or she a scientist? Did record keeping amount to recording statistics or did they just wonder how hot it was that day. My guess it was similar to the way my dad read the thermometer on the side of our garage. Oh, it's about 90 out.
Today tracking temperature is in fact a science and it is more accurate then it was when I was a kid, not to mention the way it was in 1885. Still with all these techniques we have discovered that the real hottest year on record was 1934. Turns out people like Al Gore had this all wrong.
Ya, it has been a hot summer but nothing like it was in the 30's when people would go to sleep in the park at night to avoid the heat in their homes. Yes burning oil and coal can heat up the earth but my SUV did not cause the dust bowl and drought in the Midwest during the depression. If global warming is true, we know it has been getting warmer for the last 10,000 years, what caused the ice ages? There must be a cycle here and global cooling could be just around the corner.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Me & Grandpa, we believe
The song goes like this..."Grandma got run over by a reindeer. Walking home from our house Christmas eve. You can say there's no such thing as Santa, but as for me and grandpa we believe."
My recent comments regarding the Presidential candidates stirred two responses regarding Jesus. Nothing about Hillary. Roger and Millie had similar things to say about candidates who know jesus. These comments bring into question one of the two biggest issues in life. Why do we believe god exists? Calm down. This is a big issue and I will try to work through my point of view slowly. Yes, you can comment and I welcome your thoughts.
Unicorns, alien invaders, tooth fairies, and boogie men all share on thing. They are myths believed to exits by some persons. If a Presidential Candidate believed in one of these myths they would be laughed off the stage. Why do we agree that some made up non proven concepts are false, yet there is overwhelming belief in god? Many would say it is faith. We believe, because we believe. Simple irrefutable faith.
But, does faith make it so? I remember having a similar question as a child. Is there a Santa? I believed it was true in spite of friends who told me the concept was a hoax. I worked to prove them wrong with a Santa sighting. Try as I may, I never got to see him. Still I had faith in Santa and believed.
The question of god's existence needs to be asked. Much is riding on it. All of the terror attacks are based on the belief that god wants the terrorists to strike out against us. Roger may remember the women in Texas who drown her children because god told her to do it. When you consider it, god and his or her will, has been the foundation on many of the acts of mankind. The Incas believed the sun god demanded human sacrifice at dawn. Is it possible that all of this is wrong? There are two very good books on the subject. Michael Schermer's book "How we believe" and "The god Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Warning: reading these books may cause you to think.
I have spent some time on this and come to my own conclusion. There is no question that the belief in god has been a driving force in mankind's development. Civilization passed on it's early science, written word, and ethics through religion, based on the belief in god. They also passed on some ugly history in which killing was done because god wanted to eliminate heretics. God and the belief in after life has eased many persons acceptance of death. Humans, I am told are the only animals who know they are going to die. Is this belief in god a psychological compensation for the knowledge that death is imminent? I think that maybe the answer.
We evaluate everything in our lives based on the physical laws of science. In the last 300 years myth and superstition have given way to empirical data and truth. Mankind has come a long way and part of the journey was a result of our beliefs. Regardless, we know there are no unicorns. No tooth fairy. This is based on our understanding of science and reality. Likewise, if we set guilt and superstition aside, we know there is no god.
God is a great myth that has helped us develop as a civilization. An emotional crutch for the less educated or sophisticated in our history. The Church believed the earth was the center of the universe. In 1616, Galileo was accused of being a heretic. Heresy was a crime for which people were sometimes sentenced to death. Galileo was cleared of charges of heresy, but was told that he should no longer publicly state his belief that Earth moved around the Sun. As science and education have improved, the god myth has become more obvious.
My opinion could be wrong. But I wonder why an all powerful god who knows everything would not reveal himself so we can put the issue to rest. As for me, I still believe in Santa. I have solid proof that he exists. He brought me a bicycle.
My recent comments regarding the Presidential candidates stirred two responses regarding Jesus. Nothing about Hillary. Roger and Millie had similar things to say about candidates who know jesus. These comments bring into question one of the two biggest issues in life. Why do we believe god exists? Calm down. This is a big issue and I will try to work through my point of view slowly. Yes, you can comment and I welcome your thoughts.
Unicorns, alien invaders, tooth fairies, and boogie men all share on thing. They are myths believed to exits by some persons. If a Presidential Candidate believed in one of these myths they would be laughed off the stage. Why do we agree that some made up non proven concepts are false, yet there is overwhelming belief in god? Many would say it is faith. We believe, because we believe. Simple irrefutable faith.
But, does faith make it so? I remember having a similar question as a child. Is there a Santa? I believed it was true in spite of friends who told me the concept was a hoax. I worked to prove them wrong with a Santa sighting. Try as I may, I never got to see him. Still I had faith in Santa and believed.
The question of god's existence needs to be asked. Much is riding on it. All of the terror attacks are based on the belief that god wants the terrorists to strike out against us. Roger may remember the women in Texas who drown her children because god told her to do it. When you consider it, god and his or her will, has been the foundation on many of the acts of mankind. The Incas believed the sun god demanded human sacrifice at dawn. Is it possible that all of this is wrong? There are two very good books on the subject. Michael Schermer's book "How we believe" and "The god Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Warning: reading these books may cause you to think.
I have spent some time on this and come to my own conclusion. There is no question that the belief in god has been a driving force in mankind's development. Civilization passed on it's early science, written word, and ethics through religion, based on the belief in god. They also passed on some ugly history in which killing was done because god wanted to eliminate heretics. God and the belief in after life has eased many persons acceptance of death. Humans, I am told are the only animals who know they are going to die. Is this belief in god a psychological compensation for the knowledge that death is imminent? I think that maybe the answer.
We evaluate everything in our lives based on the physical laws of science. In the last 300 years myth and superstition have given way to empirical data and truth. Mankind has come a long way and part of the journey was a result of our beliefs. Regardless, we know there are no unicorns. No tooth fairy. This is based on our understanding of science and reality. Likewise, if we set guilt and superstition aside, we know there is no god.
God is a great myth that has helped us develop as a civilization. An emotional crutch for the less educated or sophisticated in our history. The Church believed the earth was the center of the universe. In 1616, Galileo was accused of being a heretic. Heresy was a crime for which people were sometimes sentenced to death. Galileo was cleared of charges of heresy, but was told that he should no longer publicly state his belief that Earth moved around the Sun. As science and education have improved, the god myth has become more obvious.
My opinion could be wrong. But I wonder why an all powerful god who knows everything would not reveal himself so we can put the issue to rest. As for me, I still believe in Santa. I have solid proof that he exists. He brought me a bicycle.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
President 2008
I have been thinking about the upcoming Presidential election. I voted for GW twice and looking back knowing everything I know today, I still think he is a better choice then Al Gore. All that is history. What should we do about 2008? Clearly, America and the Western World needs a solid President.
I know what I don't want. Many Americans vote against the person or people they don't like as opposed to voting FOR the person they want. Sometimes the choices are such that you need to pick the lesser of two idiots. But enough about Al Gore, let us move on.
I'm concerned about security [ see SAFETY & SECURITY] but it is not an obsession. My real concern is our Economy and our ability to pay for the government we elect. My first goal is to to elect a person who will re prioritize our spending. This means cutting cost in Iraq. Those who say we need to bring the troops home, only need to look at Germany, Japan, and Korea. We still have bases in those countries after 60 years. The chance that all our troops will leave Iraq is very doubtful. Moreover, we really want troops in the middle east just in case they are needed.
Other cost here in America need to be reduced. My guess is we spend a million a day to screen airline passengers. Most of this is unnecessary. We could cut cost by moving to "profiling" passengers based on data received at time of ticket purchase. We've seen all this stuff in the movies for years, that the government can track us using Credit Card use. So don't they know who we are before we get to the airport? Why do they need to screen everyone when only 5% of the travelers are a potential threat? This change would cut cost and reduce stupidity. I am in favor of both.
Another way to cut cost and lower stupidity is to end the War on Drugs. It just is not working and it costs too much. Everyone who wants to get high is already getting high. The solution is to reduce demand through better education. If we need to spend more money it is on better education. No I do not mean give away programs to Teacher Unions. I mean run the schools like a business and pay teachers for performance. Better educated kids won't do drugs. They get high because they are bored with the idiots who teach them and the parents who don't understand them.
Beyond cost cutting, I want a secular President. All this religious nonsense in government makes my ass hurt. We have a clear understanding of the separation of church and state in America and we need a President who will stick to it. Pandering to religious groups for votes is wrong. Years ago there was a common folk tale that a Catholic could not be elected President because he or she would take direction from the Pope. That turned out to be horse hockey, but today we have all forms of Christian Groups trying to run government. I'm voting for the person who says enough to this crap.
Finally, I want a person you has the courage to tell the truth and make tough decisions. Much of this comes from personal character. You can not teach this to people who don't have it. Looking at all the candidates, I can quickly rule out the over eager religious zealots. Last thing we need in a global conflict with Islamic radicals is a devote Christian. Comparisons to the Crusades come to mind and we do not need more polarization. So no candidate who tells us about his "relationship" with jesus gets my vote.
I think experience should count for something. I don't want to elect a Trainee President. I want a person who has been in government a while and had experience in leadership and decision making positions. No Rookies. In reality I prefer old people who have been around a bit. John McCain comes to mind as a guy who had done it and seen it. I also want a person who has faced adversity. Again, McCain was a prisoner of war. That is a tough situation. I'm not voting for some "suit" or slick talking professional politician.
So let's add this up. I want a cost cutting honest secular tough person who is committed to making government work well. Beyond this I want a person who will rebuild relationships abroad. At this point McCain and Hillary are the only two candidates who come close.
I know what I don't want. Many Americans vote against the person or people they don't like as opposed to voting FOR the person they want. Sometimes the choices are such that you need to pick the lesser of two idiots. But enough about Al Gore, let us move on.
I'm concerned about security [ see SAFETY & SECURITY] but it is not an obsession. My real concern is our Economy and our ability to pay for the government we elect. My first goal is to to elect a person who will re prioritize our spending. This means cutting cost in Iraq. Those who say we need to bring the troops home, only need to look at Germany, Japan, and Korea. We still have bases in those countries after 60 years. The chance that all our troops will leave Iraq is very doubtful. Moreover, we really want troops in the middle east just in case they are needed.
Other cost here in America need to be reduced. My guess is we spend a million a day to screen airline passengers. Most of this is unnecessary. We could cut cost by moving to "profiling" passengers based on data received at time of ticket purchase. We've seen all this stuff in the movies for years, that the government can track us using Credit Card use. So don't they know who we are before we get to the airport? Why do they need to screen everyone when only 5% of the travelers are a potential threat? This change would cut cost and reduce stupidity. I am in favor of both.
Another way to cut cost and lower stupidity is to end the War on Drugs. It just is not working and it costs too much. Everyone who wants to get high is already getting high. The solution is to reduce demand through better education. If we need to spend more money it is on better education. No I do not mean give away programs to Teacher Unions. I mean run the schools like a business and pay teachers for performance. Better educated kids won't do drugs. They get high because they are bored with the idiots who teach them and the parents who don't understand them.
Beyond cost cutting, I want a secular President. All this religious nonsense in government makes my ass hurt. We have a clear understanding of the separation of church and state in America and we need a President who will stick to it. Pandering to religious groups for votes is wrong. Years ago there was a common folk tale that a Catholic could not be elected President because he or she would take direction from the Pope. That turned out to be horse hockey, but today we have all forms of Christian Groups trying to run government. I'm voting for the person who says enough to this crap.
Finally, I want a person you has the courage to tell the truth and make tough decisions. Much of this comes from personal character. You can not teach this to people who don't have it. Looking at all the candidates, I can quickly rule out the over eager religious zealots. Last thing we need in a global conflict with Islamic radicals is a devote Christian. Comparisons to the Crusades come to mind and we do not need more polarization. So no candidate who tells us about his "relationship" with jesus gets my vote.
I think experience should count for something. I don't want to elect a Trainee President. I want a person who has been in government a while and had experience in leadership and decision making positions. No Rookies. In reality I prefer old people who have been around a bit. John McCain comes to mind as a guy who had done it and seen it. I also want a person who has faced adversity. Again, McCain was a prisoner of war. That is a tough situation. I'm not voting for some "suit" or slick talking professional politician.
So let's add this up. I want a cost cutting honest secular tough person who is committed to making government work well. Beyond this I want a person who will rebuild relationships abroad. At this point McCain and Hillary are the only two candidates who come close.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Driving - Code of the Road
Recently, we took a trip to Europe. We rented a Van and drove around. As a teenager I grew up in Europe and learned to drive in Germany. It was good to return to the land of Driving.
Living in California is wonderful, except for the driving. No the traffic is not bad and the freeways are less crowded then in other big cities. Check out Paris for congestion. The problem in California, and much of America, is that Driving is taken for granted. People think they all do it well and the "other" guy is a bad driver.
There are rules of the road that we are required to know in order to get an Operators license to drive. These rules are similar in Germany and America. Yes, there are minor differences, but stay with me on this point. A license is a license, America, Canada, France etc. What is really different is the informal Code of the Road.
Here in Los Angeles even in the worst of congestion on a freeway you can turn on the right blinker and people will let you pull over. They will stop and let you cut in front of them. Many will wave and smile as they do it. Try that in New York or Boston. The horns would honk and people would swear at you. Clearly the rules for the Operators license are the same in both places but the Code is different. So what is this Code and how do we learn it?
The Code of the Road is the local style of driving developed by the drivers in any region over time. It is a result of the collective personality of the drivers. The police understand this and they accept most of it. In Germany on the Autobahn all drivers move over to the right lane to allow faster cars to pass on the left. Almost nobody drives in the far left lane, unless you are at 200 km per hour. Here in California the left lane [number one lane in Californian] is for Asian women to drive expensive German cars at 55 mph.
I have been stopped driving in excess of 100 mph. The police like to chase guys like me. But I have never seen anyone pulled over for driving too slow and obstructing the flow of traffic. I have seen miles of cars lined up behind a mini van driving in the far left lane. I have seen cars pull over into the right lane and pass as many as 15 cars in a row then pull back into the left lane. On Saturday I drove to San Francisco up the I-5. Cars riding in the left lane doing 67 miles per hour passing trucks doing 65 miles per hour. Holy shit. In some cases it took cars over 15 minutes to pass a truck. This would never happen in Germany. The Code is different there.
Read the sign "Stay to the Right except to Pass".
Living in California is wonderful, except for the driving. No the traffic is not bad and the freeways are less crowded then in other big cities. Check out Paris for congestion. The problem in California, and much of America, is that Driving is taken for granted. People think they all do it well and the "other" guy is a bad driver.
There are rules of the road that we are required to know in order to get an Operators license to drive. These rules are similar in Germany and America. Yes, there are minor differences, but stay with me on this point. A license is a license, America, Canada, France etc. What is really different is the informal Code of the Road.
Here in Los Angeles even in the worst of congestion on a freeway you can turn on the right blinker and people will let you pull over. They will stop and let you cut in front of them. Many will wave and smile as they do it. Try that in New York or Boston. The horns would honk and people would swear at you. Clearly the rules for the Operators license are the same in both places but the Code is different. So what is this Code and how do we learn it?
The Code of the Road is the local style of driving developed by the drivers in any region over time. It is a result of the collective personality of the drivers. The police understand this and they accept most of it. In Germany on the Autobahn all drivers move over to the right lane to allow faster cars to pass on the left. Almost nobody drives in the far left lane, unless you are at 200 km per hour. Here in California the left lane [number one lane in Californian] is for Asian women to drive expensive German cars at 55 mph.
I have been stopped driving in excess of 100 mph. The police like to chase guys like me. But I have never seen anyone pulled over for driving too slow and obstructing the flow of traffic. I have seen miles of cars lined up behind a mini van driving in the far left lane. I have seen cars pull over into the right lane and pass as many as 15 cars in a row then pull back into the left lane. On Saturday I drove to San Francisco up the I-5. Cars riding in the left lane doing 67 miles per hour passing trucks doing 65 miles per hour. Holy shit. In some cases it took cars over 15 minutes to pass a truck. This would never happen in Germany. The Code is different there.
Read the sign "Stay to the Right except to Pass".
Safety & Security
This is one of my favorite topics and a re-occurring theme.
Those of us in America live in one of the safest places on Earth. Yes, there is crime here and people get hurt, but compared to many other places it is really safe. Regardless, we seem to have an obsession about safety. This obsession goes back over a hundred years or more. I haven't done any research on this but it seems to me that as long as America has been a country, we have been working and spending to make it safe. Like many other things, the law of diminishing returns applies to spending money for safety. If you double the money spent, you do not become twice as safe.
During much of my life, my father was in the military and involved in security services. He collected information to help the military make us safer. Much of that information with other tid bits went on to create the massive military build up that was the Cold War. As citizens we spent billions in taxes to make America safe.
The cold war is gone or at least at recess. Now we have a new enemy. Terrorist are real and they pose a threat to public safety. We are again spending billions to make us safe. And, like with the Cold War, the more we spend does not mean we are becoming safer.
We in America and Western Europe have multiple layers of protection. National defense, the military, state and local police are all being paid to make us safer. Yet, my experience tells me we are not getting our monies worth. The military does not seem to be able to win the war in Iraq. Yes, I know it is complicated, but my dad and his friends won the war against Japan is less time. The Police I see are focused on giving speeding tickets and harassing skateboarders, not catching terrorist. And the TSA. Well the TSA is little more then a make work project to employ people who are un or under employed elsewhere. The TSA are "rent a cops" who's only purpose is to make us feel safe by being inconvenienced.
I'm old, do I look like I need to take my shoes off and be sent to secondary screening? This is just plain stupid and a waste of time and money. We as a civilization need to rethink the money we are spending on Safety and Security. My estimate says we could have free national health care and free college tuition with the money wasted on these "safety" programs. This money could and should be better spent.
Those of us in America live in one of the safest places on Earth. Yes, there is crime here and people get hurt, but compared to many other places it is really safe. Regardless, we seem to have an obsession about safety. This obsession goes back over a hundred years or more. I haven't done any research on this but it seems to me that as long as America has been a country, we have been working and spending to make it safe. Like many other things, the law of diminishing returns applies to spending money for safety. If you double the money spent, you do not become twice as safe.
During much of my life, my father was in the military and involved in security services. He collected information to help the military make us safer. Much of that information with other tid bits went on to create the massive military build up that was the Cold War. As citizens we spent billions in taxes to make America safe.
The cold war is gone or at least at recess. Now we have a new enemy. Terrorist are real and they pose a threat to public safety. We are again spending billions to make us safe. And, like with the Cold War, the more we spend does not mean we are becoming safer.
We in America and Western Europe have multiple layers of protection. National defense, the military, state and local police are all being paid to make us safer. Yet, my experience tells me we are not getting our monies worth. The military does not seem to be able to win the war in Iraq. Yes, I know it is complicated, but my dad and his friends won the war against Japan is less time. The Police I see are focused on giving speeding tickets and harassing skateboarders, not catching terrorist. And the TSA. Well the TSA is little more then a make work project to employ people who are un or under employed elsewhere. The TSA are "rent a cops" who's only purpose is to make us feel safe by being inconvenienced.
I'm old, do I look like I need to take my shoes off and be sent to secondary screening? This is just plain stupid and a waste of time and money. We as a civilization need to rethink the money we are spending on Safety and Security. My estimate says we could have free national health care and free college tuition with the money wasted on these "safety" programs. This money could and should be better spent.
In the beginning.......
Over the last couple of years I have become increasing annoyed with things around me. People irritate me. The news upsets me. My opinions just do not seem to matter.
I've written several letters to the Editor of newspapers. Some of which have been published. This venting has helped me to accept many of the stupid things in the news and in my interaction with others.
I have decided to set up a Blog for Views you can use. Things I think might be helpful to others with limited experience, no personality, or who need advice. This is day one. The beginning of VIEWS YOU CAN USE.
Some simple advice to start: Don't be stupid or sensitive.
Pat
I've written several letters to the Editor of newspapers. Some of which have been published. This venting has helped me to accept many of the stupid things in the news and in my interaction with others.
I have decided to set up a Blog for Views you can use. Things I think might be helpful to others with limited experience, no personality, or who need advice. This is day one. The beginning of VIEWS YOU CAN USE.
Some simple advice to start: Don't be stupid or sensitive.
Pat
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